The Court of Appeal rejects the premature restriction of scope in domestic abuse inquest

The Court of Appeal rejects the premature restriction of scope in domestic abuse inquest Leo Kirby R (on the application of O’Brien) v HM Assistant Coroner for Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens [2026] EWCA Civ 499 Introduction The Court of Appeal (Newey, Edis and Whipple LJJs) has allowed the appeal…

Suicide and the inference of intent

Suicide and the inference of intent Rory Badenoch Toogood v HM Senior Coroner for the Area of Somerset [2026] EWHC 634 (Admin) Introduction In this case the Divisional Court set out useful guidance on the legal framework for determining / inferring suicidal intent in circumstances in which there is no…

Leaving findings of fact to inquest juries in Article 2 cases

Leaving findings of fact to inquest juries in Article 2 cases Peter Skelton KC R (Bhupinder Iffat Rizvi) v HM Assistant Coroner for South London and others [2025] EWHC 3014 (Admin) Introduction In this case, the High Court considered the appropriate legal test for leaving findings of fact to juries…

Schrödinger’s Defendants: Inquests, Unlawful Killing and Criminal Acquittals

Schrödinger’s Defendants: Inquests, Unlawful Killing and Criminal Acquittals Matthew Hill R (Leeson) v HM Area Coroner for Manchester South [2023] EWHC 62 (Admin)  R (Makki) v HMSC for S. Manchester [2023] EWHC 80 (Admin) The Inquests into the Shoreham air crash The coronial and criminal jurisdictions have a long and…

The Supreme Court provides authoritative guidance on the application of Article 2 to Coronial investigations and inquests

R (Maguire) v HM Senior Coroner for Blackpool & Fylde and another [2023] UKSC 20 Introduction The advent of the Human Rights Act 1998, and the incorporation into domestic law of the Article 2 right to life, has transformed coronial investigations and inquests over the last two decades. Lord Bingham’s magisterial…

Fresh Inquests

Mays v HM Senior Coroner for Kingston Upon Hull & East Riding of Yorkshire [2021] EWHC 3604 (Admin) Earl v HM Senior Coroner for East Sussex [2021] EWHC 3468 (Admin) R (on the application of Ginn) v HM Senior Coroner for Inner London [2022] EWHC 28 (Admin) Three recent applications…